Army Maj. Jake Obligado, a civil military operations battalion commander in the area, said some 50 New People’s Army rebels in camouflage uniforms first stormed the town’s police station before dawn, trading fire with five policemen. Two officers were killed on the spot while a third died in hospital. Two others were wounded.

Bloodstains found in the rebels’ attack positions indicate casualties on the guerrilla side, Obligado added.

Soldiers repulsed another attack on a military detachment. Pursuing troops then captured nine guerrillas, while two rebels were killed in a third clash.

The rebels later blasted a land mine on a truck that troops were boarding, initially killing six soldiers and wounding eight others. One of the wounded died while being treated, Obligado said.

Security forces are on heightened alert for the NPA’s founding anniversary on March 29, which rebels traditionally mark by attacking government troops and installations, officials said.

The rebellion began in the late 1960s with a ragtag group armed with a few rifles. The movement peaked during the repressive years under dictator Ferdinand Marcos with several thousand full-time guerrillas.

Though it remains one of the world’s longest-running Marxist insurgencies, the movement has weakened considerably in recent years due to battle setbacks, surrenders and factionalism. It remains a national security concern.

Talks to end the rebellion have stalled since 2011 due to disagreements between the government and guerrillas over releasing several jailed rebel leaders.